But Whitman's recent trip down memory lane made it all too easy for the Democratic camp to retaliate on Monday:

"You know, 30 years ago, anything was possible in this state," says Whitman. "You know that's why I came to California so many years ago."

Wait, 30 years? Wasn't that...

Yep. Cue montage of Brown as a strapping young governor in the early '80s, "ditching" Reagan's limo and mansion to create jobs, balance budgets and launch California to greatness with his bare and charitable hands.